Very Cherie-Beaded Jewels

'I've got the world on a string...'



Beads, beads and more beads... brilliant, bold, bright, beautiful beads! They glisten, they sparkle, they shimmer and shine. they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and textures; round, square, hexagon, bicone, oval, paddle and dagger shaped. They also come in flower and leaf shapes and so many others. The patterns on them are bold, flowery and pretty, geometric, abstract or psychedelic or exotic and in all the colors of the rainbow. They are translucent, opaque, matte, textured, shimmery, irridiscent, bumpy. Beads can be made of clay, metal, blown glass, lampworked; handmade or machine made locally or in far away places like Europe, Asia and Africa. They can be strung on wire, silk, cord, leather, ribbon or embroidery floss or woven into beautiful, stunning jewelry. Beaded jewelry can be worn everyday to work or a fun day at the beach; an evening out or a gala event.



I am fascinated with beading. I find it so relaxing. Just stringing them or weaving, picking up a bead, another and then another - the action is so repetitive... it's almost meditative. As you add the beads and watch your design grow, the joy and satisfaction of seeing the end result - a beautiful piece of jewelry; that is so fulfilling!



Tuesday, August 10, 2010

On the beach

This is the very first necklace I ever made. I had just taken a class on how to string a bracelet and I read about this competition 'On the beach' in the 'Canadian Beading magazine' I found at the store. My husband used to work as an Electronic communications officer on ships so I travelled sometimes with him. I was fascinated with the colors of the Pacifice ocean specially in bright sunshine. I used to sit on the deck for hours enjoying the air and the ocean while he was working. The beautiful blue of the ocean on a sunny day with its little foamy white peaks and as the ship moved  the spray of droplets sparkling like diamonds;  it was so breathtakingly beautiful. So, I decided to try and capture those bright blue colors with the foamy white peaks and put it in the necklace. I've used different blues, whites and browns for the rocks. The triple strands weaving in and out are the undulating waves. I used a sea-shell for the pendant.  It's from my collection of shells I have from Mumbai, India.  We have some beautiful beaches there.  Imagine my joy and surprise when I placed third in the competition and had a little write up in the magazine. I also had a certificate and a bagful of shells, coral and other beads.

1 comment:

  1. This is stunning, Cheryl, especially AFTER reading the story behind it. You are an excellent storyteller. I can "feel" myself there with you!

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